updated 07:42 am EDT, Wed June 4, 2014

Tizen smart TV SDK beta release scheduled for July by Samsung

Samsung has demonstrated Tizen running on a smart TV at the Tizen Developer Conference in San Francisco. Used in the recently-announced Samsung Z as well as the Gear 2 smartwatch instead of Android, the Samsung and Intel-developed operating system was operational on the television at the event, giving a hint of what the manufacturer has planned for its expected Tizen smart TV releases slated for later this year.

The interface demonstrated toPocket-Lint uses a grid layout, with a column of separate content categories for apps, videos, and sources on the left hand side for simpler navigation. An icon on the display appears to show it will offer individual user profiles, potentially allowing for a customized list of favorite content for each viewer to be stored and shown in the menu.

While it was reportedly responsive using an accompanied smart wand remote control to move the on-screen pointer, it also offers the option to control the TV using a dedicated app, allowing a smartphone or tablet to act as a trackpad and keyboard, as well as providing typical remote control functions.

Earlier this week, Samsung announced it would be making the beta version of the Tizen TV software development kit available to developers in early July. The SDK lets developers create HTML5 apps for the smart TVs using the Caph framework, as well as introducing gesture controls, voice commands, and the possibility of using multiple displays.